Acting on a tip-off, NSCDC officers intercepted the group at Zuba motor park in Abuja upon their return from Minna, Niger State, where they had purportedly gone to process their international passports as directed by their sponsor.
The victims, aged between 24 and 34, included one male and nine females, all claiming to be from Ondo State. Each of them had paid eighty thousand naira for the procurement of their international passports, according to a statement signed by the command spokesperson, Samuel Idoko, on Monday.
The suspects were promised migration abroad for ready-made jobs, particularly in North Africa and Canada, by an unidentified sponsor residing in Okitipupa, Ondo State.
“The victims were accosted at Zuba motor park, Abuja, by officers of the command, following a tip-off on their return from Minna, Niger State, where they had gone to process their international passport as directed by their sponsor.
“It was gathered that each of them paid ₦80,000 to facilitate the procurement of the international passport.
“They also confessed to being promised migration abroad to undertake ready-made jobs, especially in North Africa and Canada by a yet-to-be-identified sponsor who, according to them, resides in Okitipupa, Ondo State,” the statement noted.
The FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, warned against the perils of illegal migration abroad.
Odumosu cautioned individuals to be wary of promises of a better future, highlighting the risk of exploitation and enslavement.
“Be careful of the types of people that are promising you a better future abroad; don’t be desperate because some of them end up ruining your lives.
“They deceive you and collect huge sums of money from you, claiming there are ready-made jobs, whereas you may end up in slavery or forced to be sex workers.
“If you must travel abroad, follow the right channel that will give you peace of mind; don’t allow somebody to seize your international passport abroad and place you under an oath that you will regret,” he warned.
The victims were handed over to the Nigeria Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for further investigation and appropriate legal action.
The NSCDC reaffirmed its commitment to combating human trafficking and urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to trafficking or illegal migration.
Meanwhile, NAPTIP has decried the alarming rate of irregular migration among Nigerians.
The spokesperson of the Agency, Zacks Dauda, who recently spoke to The PUNCH noted that the sensitisation efforts of the agency on irregular migration have failed to deter Nigerians from embarking on such trips.
